Re: Long Range Techniques
The main difference is, the competition shooter <span style="font-style: italic">"knows"</span> what to expect and essentially re-zeros the rifle for that particular range or stage. Then indeed it is simply a matter of holding in the same manner as he would at 100 yards. With the benefit of sighters, and a spotter downrange he can focus on the fundamentals, there are no surprises, changes in wind are dialed and the shooter attempts to break the shot under same conditions each time. The target will in fact wait for him to do so.
He has both time and opportunity to perfect his position, and execution as he attempts to recreate each shot so it is the same as the last. Consistency breeds excellence. He is given the rules and strives to work within the time allotted on a known distance target of a known size and location.
Now what people are trying to show, is while the fundamentals remain the same the field or tactical shooter is not afforded the same luxuries.
Take a moving target for instance, time is not a luxury afforded the shooter, as well the hold is not center, it's fluid as they track the target. Your natural point of aim is compromised due to the nature of the target's movement. And that is just one example.
In the field, positions are not always on manicured flats, down a linear firing line. You may have angles, odd terrain features that drive the winds, beyond what typical berms along a firing line will do.
Your shot is more than likely dictated by the target, as well as being at what can be an odd or unknown distance, it might not be a full value target. The size and position relative to the shooter may, and probably will change.
So, I think what people are trying to say is, this is how Long Range shooting differs from short range. There are other factors that have to be taken into consideration on the spot, within seconds of the shot, not minutes after the sighters have been fired. If you could guarantee a center hold each and every time I think more people would see the correlation, but because the reticle of the scope is not always being held center, and maybe off in more than one plane, it's hard to demonstrate the same skill set, although the execution of the fundamentals are, the thought process is not.
